Fast-moving Santa Ana winds – some as powerful as a hurricane – have been roaring across Southern California and feeding the wildfires firefighters are battling in the Los Angeles area. And the heightened fire risk will continue into next week.
“Hollywood Burbank Airport recorded a peak gust around (Wednesday) 9 p.m. PST of 71 mph,” AccuWeather meteorologist Danielle Ehresman wrote. “Gusts approaching 100 mph were recorded above 2,000 feet in the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains Tuesday night.”
The winds, which are most common in the fall and winter, force dry air toward the shore from across the interior deserts of California and the Southwest, according to the National Weather Service.
How Santa Ana winds create dangerous winds in California
Santa Ana winds occur when air flows west from a region of high pressure over the dry Great Basin to lower pressure off the California coast, According to Accuweather. As that cool interior air flows over and through mountain passes, it accelerates, sinks and compresses.
Santa Ana winds expected to persist
The fire risk isn’t over. AccuWeather meteorologists predict another Santa Ana wind surge early next week. Beginning Monday, wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are forecast through Tuesday. AccuWeather Local StormMax predicts some localized gusts could be as strong as 85 mph.
CONTRIBUTING Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; James Ward, Palm Springs Desert Sun
SOURCE AccuWeather and National Weather Service